Business, Economy and Consumer AffairsNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Business, Economy and Consumer AffairsThu, 17 Aug 2017 14:43:59 +0000Business, Economy and Consumer Affairshttp://wbaa.org
Annie RopeikPresident Donald Trump disbanded two of his economic advisory councils, after many members resigned in protest of his response to racist violence. Trump tweeted Wednesday he was ending his Manufacturing Council and Strategic & Policy Forum, all made up of CEOs and other industry and workforce leaders. Among those who resigned from the manufacturing group before that tweet were national AFL-CIO union president Richard Trumka and his chief of staff. I cannot sit on a council for a President that tolerates bigotry and domestic terrorism; I resign, effective immediately. pic.twitter.com/ip6F2nsoog Richard L. Trumka (@RichardTrumka) August 15, 2017 The CEOs of major Indiana employers U.S. Steel and Arconic also resigned from the council before Trump disbanded it. Others, including CEOs of Caterpillar, Dow, GE, Boeing and Carrier parent company United Technologies had not done so before the Presidents tweet. Indiana AFL-CIO president Brett Voorhies says he had high hopes for the councilTrump's Race Remarks, End Of Business Councils 'Last Straw' For Indiana Laborhttp://wbaa.org/post/trumps-race-remarks-end-business-councils-last-straw-indiana-labor
151256 as http://wbaa.orgWed, 16 Aug 2017 21:05:21 +0000Trump's Race Remarks, End Of Business Councils 'Last Straw' For Indiana LaborAnnie RopeikIndiana says it wants to help train train more Hoosier workers for in-demand jobs. Two grant programs will help cover tuition for career certificates and training costs for employers in what the state calls high-demand areas. The legislature approved $10 million apiece over two years for the two programs – the Workforce Ready Grant and the Employer Training Grant. Speaking at the Allison Transmission factory in Indianapolis Monday, Gov. Eric Holcomb and other officials say they want to bring unemployed Hoosiers back to the workforce, and help underemployed people move up in their careers. The Workforce Ready Grant is tuition focused and will pay for students to get two-year or shorter certificates at Ivy Tech Community College and Vincennes University. It covers five fields with lots of openings and some high wages: manufacturing, logistics, the building trades, health, and tech services. State higher education commissioner Teresa Lubbers says thats to make sure grantees can get jobs.Indiana Launches Tuition, Training Programs For 'High-Demand' Jobshttp://wbaa.org/post/indiana-launches-tuition-training-programs-high-demand-jobs
151102 as http://wbaa.orgMon, 14 Aug 2017 21:50:24 +0000Indiana Launches Tuition, Training Programs For 'High-Demand' JobsStan JastrzebskiA group of about 50 City of West Lafayette employees, all clad in blue tee shirts, flanked the city’s redesigned State Street Monday, welcoming Purdue students back to campus. WBAA’s Stan Jastrzebski walked along with Mayor John Dennis and City Clerk Sana Booker and sent an audio postcard.State Street Blue Crew: Welcome Through To Purduehttp://wbaa.org/post/state-street-blue-crew-welcome-through-purdue
151052 as http://wbaa.orgMon, 14 Aug 2017 19:59:27 +0000State Street Blue Crew: Welcome Through To PurdueAnnie RopeikIndiana is set to have unexpectedly big corn and soybean harvests this fall. That means continued tight profit margins for farmers and more low food prices for consumers. Purdue University agronomists made their annual announcement of the states crop production forecast at the State Fair Thursday. They say yields should better than expected, after weeks of wet, patchy weather. But economist Chris Hurt says that extra supply for the same demand will mean bad prices for Hoosier farmers. The good news is theres going to be a big harvest, and a big harvest is going to help us keep food price inflation very moderate, he says. While thats not so good for the farm sector, that sure is great news for all of us as consumers and for the world that we are striving to feed. Indiana farmers are set to produce 324 million bushels of soybeans, and 929 million bushels of corn – both down slightly from last year. Yields per acre are forecast at a little lower for soybeans and the same as last year forIndiana Corn, Soybean Production Set To Exceed Expectationshttp://wbaa.org/post/indiana-corn-soybean-production-set-exceed-expectations
150875 as http://wbaa.orgThu, 10 Aug 2017 19:39:50 +0000Indiana Corn, Soybean Production Set To Exceed ExpectationsLisa RyanOne year ago, Wabash, Indiana competed in a national competition to bring a half million dollars into the city. The money went to small business owners and improvements to the city’s downtown.One Year After Winning Contest, Wabash Businesses See Successhttp://wbaa.org/post/one-year-after-winning-contest-wabash-businesses-see-success
150585 as http://wbaa.orgTue, 08 Aug 2017 11:43:30 +0000One Year After Winning Contest, Wabash Businesses See SuccessAnnie RopeikIBM owes Indiana more than $78 million after it failed to deliver on its contract to privatize the states welfare system a decade ago. A county judge determined the final dollar amounts in a decision published Monday. It comes after the Indiana Supreme Court ruled last year IBM had breached its $1.3 billion contract with then-Gov. Mitch Daniels administration. The high court asked the Marion County Superior Court to mete out damages, but thats taken some time. Lawyers had Judge David Dreyer removed from the case last year after he tried to rule against the Supreme Courts decision. Now, Judge Heather Welch says IBM should pay the state $128 million in damages, and that the state still owes IBM nearly $50 million in various fees. The Daniels administration originally hired IBM to take over digital welfare services for the state Family and Social Services Administration. The contract was terminated in 2009 after numerous problems and has been tied up in court ever since. IBM will appealJudge: IBM Owes Indiana $78M After Failed Welfare Privatizationhttp://wbaa.org/post/judge-ibm-owes-indiana-78m-after-failed-welfare-privatization
150496 as http://wbaa.orgMon, 07 Aug 2017 16:53:52 +0000Judge: IBM Owes Indiana $78M After Failed Welfare PrivatizationAnnie RopeikIndianas three ports had their second-best start to the year ever in 2017. Burns Harbor, Mt. Vernon and Jeffersonville moved 19 percent more cargo in the first six months of this year than at the same time in 2016 – 5.7 million tons overall. Almost two-thirds of that went through the southwest port of Mt. Vernon, in the form of bulk cargoes – things like coal, ethanol, fertilizer and minerals, which get transferred between railcars, river barges and trucks. Mt. Vernon handled 38 percent more cargo total in the first half of this year than in 2016. That included a 76 percent bump in coal shipments, which Ports of Indiana CEO Rich Cooper says was all bound for domestic power plants. People are encouraged about some of the rhetoric now coming out of Washington that theyre hopeful could be helpful to further coal production,” he says. The Trump administration has also promised to boost American steel through trade reform. Cooper says steel shipments have kept pace with last year atDomestic Coal Shipments Boost Indiana's Ports For Start Of 2017http://wbaa.org/post/domestic-coal-shipments-boost-indianas-ports-start-2017
150252 as http://wbaa.orgThu, 03 Aug 2017 18:30:53 +0000Domestic Coal Shipments Boost Indiana's Ports For Start Of 2017Charlotte TuggleA Purdue researcher says technology may be the key to making the vineyard industry more ecologically -- and economically -- friendly. Electrical and computer engineering professor David Ebert and his research team are working on software that calculates the best decisions for farmers based on information such as weather patterns, soil mapping and business trends. Ebert says the focus is on wineries because winemaking is a more complex process than traditional farming. “In terms of viticulture, for grape-growing and oenology for wine-making, to understand how the decisions people make during the year not only affect the quantity of what they produce but the quality and the market value of what they’re going after,” Ebert says. The software is being tested by a few California wineries the researchers have been working with since 2014. “By knowing what’s going on deep in the soil and what’s available to their plant, they can actually make management decisions in terms of their crop load,Purdue Researchers Developing Tech To Streamline Vineyard Decisionshttp://wbaa.org/post/purdue-researchers-developing-tech-streamline-vineyard-decisions
150186 as http://wbaa.orgWed, 02 Aug 2017 22:05:50 +0000Purdue Researchers Developing Tech To Streamline Vineyard DecisionsAnnie RopeikThe Indiana State Fair, starting Friday, provides a nearly month-long showcase for Hoosier agriculture. As that industry has changed, its role at the fair has stayed much the same. Every year, Hoosiers get to try Indiana-grown wares of all kinds at the State Fair. They get to see 4-H participants show off their small flocks and exhibition animals. Whats interesting, says Indiana State Poultry Association executive vice president Paul Brennan, is that its all evolved and modernized far less than the states major agriculture sectors themselves. Twenty-five years ago, what you saw in terms of poultry at the fair was not the commercial industry, Brennan says. And that hasnt changed. Its pretty much the same in that regard. Indiana is the top duck producer in the country, and also ranks high for eggs and turkeys. While the fair might not reveal the full scale of that or other industries, such as pork, dairy and beef, Brennan says it does give fair-goers a chance to meet and talk to realIndiana State Fair Shows Off Smaller Scale Of Modern Agriculturehttp://wbaa.org/post/indiana-state-fair-shows-smaller-scale-modern-agriculture
150182 as http://wbaa.orgWed, 02 Aug 2017 21:16:54 +0000Indiana State Fair Shows Off Smaller Scale Of Modern AgricultureStan JastrzebskiThe Tippecanoe County Area Plan Commission appears poised to approve new rules governing where self-storage facilities may be built and what happens inside of them. The APC will consider a proposal at a meeting this week which would bar such facilities from being built on land currently zoned for agricultural use. County Commissioner Tom Murtaugh helped spearhead the ordinance and says it comes out of a permit denial for land next to a creek on the far eastern edge of Lafayette. The new rule also says the units can’t be used as homes or for illegal activity, which Murtaugh says local lawmakers wanted outlined specifically. “I’m not sure it’s happened in Tippecanoe County," Murtaugh says, "But there’s been times where these units have been rented and used for drug activities and that type of thing. So I’m sure that that’s probably put in there for that purpose.” Murtaugh says anyone wishing to build a self-storage complex on what’s now agricultural land can still apply for the propertyTippecanoe County Readies New Storage Unit Ruleshttp://wbaa.org/post/tippecanoe-county-readies-new-storage-unit-rules
150070 as http://wbaa.orgTue, 01 Aug 2017 19:02:04 +0000Tippecanoe County Readies New Storage Unit RulesAnnie RopeikHalf a dozen homeowners in rural Bartholomew County will get to pay less in property taxes because they live near concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs. The decision comes about a year after the families in the town of Hope appealed to the county about the impact of large hog farms on their home values. After the county denied their requests in March, the neighbors appealed the case to the State Board of Tax Review. That gave county assessor Lew Wilson another chance to review the appeals, as well as extra research from the neighbors and the Hoosier Environmental Council. His decision means the state board will not have to hear the case. “Even though it’s taken a period of time, I think everyone feels like that it’s been fair for them, and fair for the county,” Wilson said in an interview at an HEC workshop in Columbus Saturday. The topic: living near CAFOs. Wilson is currently finalizing cuts of between 15 and 26.7 percent for each neighbor who appealed. Nancy Banta isBartholomew County CAFO Neighbors Win Property Tax Cutshttp://wbaa.org/post/bartholomew-county-cafo-neighbors-win-property-tax-cuts
149974 as http://wbaa.orgMon, 31 Jul 2017 17:24:21 +0000Bartholomew County CAFO Neighbors Win Property Tax CutsAnnie RopeikA national fair housing group says Deutsche Bank and two other businesses are less likely to maintain foreclosed, bank-owned homes in majority-black areas of 30 cities, including Indianapolis and Gary. A new version of a federal complaint, out this week , expands the investigation. The National Fair Housing Alliance and 19 local organizations first filed a complaint with the Department of Housing and Urban Development against Deutsche Bank in 2014. Now, they’re also naming the bank’s property maintenance companies, Ocwen Financial and Altisource. The complaint says these companies are more likely to let empty, bank-owned homes become blighted or derelict in mostly-black neighborhoods than in mostly-white ones. And it says they arent trying as hard to sell those homes. The complaint includes analysis of 22 properties in Gary, and 18 in Indianapolis, where Amy Nelson is executive director of the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana. She says once the bank takes back a house, itsFair Housing Orgs. Expand Foreclosure Complaint In Indy, Garyhttp://wbaa.org/post/fair-housing-orgs-expand-foreclosure-complaint-indy-gary
149772 as http://wbaa.orgThu, 27 Jul 2017 19:18:54 +0000Fair Housing Orgs. Expand Foreclosure Complaint In Indy, GaryDrew DaudelinMayor Joe Hogsett says Indianapolis will administer a hiring and retention program that provides local companies a financial incentive to hire and retain displaced Carrier workers. (Photo by Drew Daudelin) Hundreds of workers from Carrier, the manufacturing plant in Indianapolis, are losing their jobs as the company relocates some of its operations to Mexico. After Carrier announced its plans last year, the city revoked $1.2 million in tax incentives from the company. Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett says that same money will be used to help displaced workers get back on their feet in two ways. First, the city will work with EmployIndy to provide up to $1,000 for each employee, as long as they can prove they are actively looking for a job. EmployIndy President Angela Klitzsch says the money will be flexible. Regardless of whether these supports are used to pay for housing, transportation, childcare, utilitieswe believe the barrier busting funds provided will mitigate any costs that areCity To Provide $1.2 Million In Assistance For Laid Off Carrier Workershttp://wbaa.org/post/city-provide-12-million-assistance-laid-carrier-workers
149610 as http://wbaa.orgWed, 26 Jul 2017 19:17:10 +0000City To Provide $1.2 Million In Assistance For Laid Off Carrier WorkersLauren ChapmanIndiana’s June unemployment rate dropped to 3.0 percent, bolstered by private sector growth. That growth helped fuel a 0.2 percent decline in Indiana’s unemployment rate, the lowest rate since November 2000. The private sector added more than 10,100 jobs last month, primarily due to growth in business, educational and health services. But that growth was offset by losses in construction, trade and utilities jobs. Along that same trend, Indiana’s labor force shrank in June, for the second month in a row . The labor force includes people who have a job or are actively looking for one. Growth in the labor force is typically viewed as a sign of optimism in the economy.Indiana Unemployment Rate Continues Steady Declinehttp://wbaa.org/post/indiana-unemployment-rate-continues-steady-decline
149259 as http://wbaa.orgFri, 21 Jul 2017 15:53:42 +0000Indiana Unemployment Rate Continues Steady DeclineAnnie RopeikLayoffs began Thursday at the Carrier factory in Indianapolis, where last year President-elect Donald Trump celebrated a deal to save jobs from moving to Mexico. The company agreed to preserve about 700 jobs in exchange for tax breaks from the state, but its cutting 632 others , with still more workers taking buyouts to retire early. Robert James is president of the United Steelworkers local representing Carrier workers. He was at the factory before some laid-off employees final shifts. They were in good spirits, basically, because they were wishing the retirees well, James says. But Im quite sure that there is a lot of concern as to what their future holds. Exiting workers are getting a weeks pay for every year they worked, plus six months of health insurance under a deal with the union. Some have also applied for whats called Trade Adjustment Assistance – a federal benefit for people whose jobs are affected by global trade . James says workers could start using that money on trainingLayoffs Begin At Carrier Plant Where Trump Touted Job-Saving Dealhttp://wbaa.org/post/layoffs-begin-carrier-plant-where-trump-touted-job-saving-deal
149203 as http://wbaa.orgThu, 20 Jul 2017 21:47:47 +0000Layoffs Begin At Carrier Plant Where Trump Touted Job-Saving DealAnnie RopeikIndiana’s growing number of wineries and small vineyards want to make the Hoosier state synonymous with wine country. Yet, a tricky climate limits what grapes they can grow in-state, and complex regulations limit where they can sell the resulting wines. So these local wine destinations are finding other ways to make their marks. At Two-Ee’s Winery near Huntington, the barrels and tanks in the production room are full of juice from grapes you’ve probably never heard of. Wine-maker Eric Harris rattles them off: Tannat, Aglianico, Norton and Dolcetto bought from California, and Marquette, Traminette and Cayuga from Indiana, among others. What you won’t find here are big names like cabernet or merlot, which Harris says don’t grow well in the Hoosier State. “St. Elmo is a great restaurant in Indianapolis, and they’re world-renowned for their shrimp cocktail, but they’re not getting their shrimp from the White River, right?” Harris says. “So we try to stick with what we’re good at, and leaveIndiana Wineries Opt For Local Flavor Over Wholesale Famehttp://wbaa.org/post/indiana-wineries-opt-local-flavor-over-wholesale-fame
148711 as http://wbaa.orgWed, 19 Jul 2017 09:55:00 +0000Indiana Wineries Opt For Local Flavor Over Wholesale FameAnnie RopeikIndiana workforce officials are convening dozens of groups of local education and business leaders across the state to improve training efforts for new workers. Its the next phase of the Indianas SkillUp program , which aims to help localize training efforts for the states estimated million job openings in the next decade. Workforce development commissioner Steve Braun shared local workforce data with the Lafayette-area group – made up of high school superintendents, vocational and technical educators and local employers – on Monday. The federal governments not going to solve this for us. State governments not going to solve this for us, although we can provide a tremendous amount of support and resources, Braun said in an interview outside the meeting. This really gets solved at the community level. The states role is to provide data. For example, Brauns department projects that Lafayette will need more secretaries, truck drivers and nursing assistants in the next decade, but fewerEducators, Employers Will Use State Data To Tackle Local Job Needshttp://wbaa.org/post/educators-employers-will-use-state-data-tackle-local-job-needs
148919 as http://wbaa.orgMon, 17 Jul 2017 21:19:11 +0000Educators, Employers Will Use State Data To Tackle Local Job NeedsAnnie RopeikThe Indianapolis suburbs are growing, while rural areas of the state lose residents. That trend isnt new, but it deepened in 2016 census data analyzed this summer by the Indiana Business Research Center. The data shows Indianas fastest-growing city is Whitestown, in Boone County. Its topped that list for six years running, as its population has more than doubled. A few years ago, we were seeing more growth in Marion County and Indianapolis proper, but thats slowing down a little bit, says IBRC demographic analyst Matt Kinghorn. Now were starting to see more pick-up in the suburban communities. His analysis shows 13 of Indianas 15 fastest-growing cities for 2016 are in the so-called donut counties around Indianapolis – places like McCordsville, Bargersville, Westfield and Carmel. And their new residents are mainly Hoosier transplants. Were not seeing a lot of people drawn to the state right now, he says. But we are starting to see a little bit more movement within the state. This meansCensus Data: Indy Suburbs' Population Gain Is Rural Indiana's Losshttp://wbaa.org/post/census-data-indy-suburbs-population-gain-rural-indianas-loss
148114 as http://wbaa.orgThu, 06 Jul 2017 19:33:00 +0000Census Data: Indy Suburbs' Population Gain Is Rural Indiana's LossAnnie RopeikThe cost of an Independence Day picnics worth of groceries continued to drop in Indiana this year, as part of a race to the bottom in the prices of competing food products. The Indiana Farm Bureau tracks the cost of different sets of grocery items throughout the year. For July Fourth, its a 10-person barbecue – hot dogs, hamburgers and ribs, watermelon and other sides, plus drinks and condiments. It all costs $51.50 this year, down 35 cents from last year and about 75 cents from 2014. Farm Bureau vice president Isabella Chism says that’s due in part to low production costs and excess supplies in the meat industry. But then what you also get into is a little competitiveness between the animal proteins,” she says. “So if the beef prices are down, which is the case right now, then the pork prices will tend to come down just about as much as they can bear, just so that you dont overlook that source. Indianas July Fourth groceries cost a little less than the national average, $55.70. ChismFarm Bureau's July Fourth Barbecue Grocery Index Dips Againhttp://wbaa.org/post/farm-bureaus-july-fourth-barbecue-grocery-index-dips-again
147898 as http://wbaa.orgMon, 03 Jul 2017 21:32:42 +0000Farm Bureau's July Fourth Barbecue Grocery Index Dips AgainAnnie RopeikEconomic rebirth in Indiana downtowns can be a two-way street – literally. Hoosier cities are spending millions to convert one-way main streets into two-way arteries. The change can help boost the local economy, but it can also be hard on small businesses, like the one John von Erdmansdorff runs in West Lafayette. Von Erdmansdorff is a local legend who’s spent almost 50 years selling all kinds of treasures out of his row of stores, Von’s Shops, on State Street. It runs straight through Purdue University, meaning summer is usually a little slow – but nothing like this year, the year of State Street road construction . “It’s awful when you go outside and you look in your parking lot [where] often, you’re worried about if there’s enough room for people, and there’s nobody out there but your employees,” von Erdmansdorff says. Von’s Shops are boxed in as the city converts State Street from one- to two-way traffic. They’ve torn up pavement, fenced off most sidewalks, and restricted drivingIndiana Downtowns See Risks, Rewards In Two-Way Street Conversionshttp://wbaa.org/post/indiana-downtowns-see-risks-rewards-two-way-street-conversions
147865 as http://wbaa.orgMon, 03 Jul 2017 16:27:28 +0000Indiana Downtowns See Risks, Rewards In Two-Way Street Conversions